battlekow

Chris Cody named Southern League Pitcher of the Week Huntsville Stars HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Huntsville Stars’ Chris Cody was named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week for July 12-19. On Saturday, July 17, Cody struck out nine West Tenn batters in just 5.2 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits but the Stars offense took off to provide 13 runs in support of Cody. He ultimately got the win, his fifth of the season. In 2010, Cody is 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA. July has been his best month, going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts. He only allowed four runs and three over 20 innings of work. Cody will be honored before tonight’s game against the Mississippi Braves. Gates open at 6 p.m. It’s a AAA Triple Play night where fans can get three tickets for the price of one when they show their AAA membership card. The first 1,000 fans donating school supplies to the Tools for Schools tent will also receive a complimentary game ticket. For more information, visit www.huntsvillestars.com.

Sickels follows up with a detailed "prospect smackdown" between Lawrie and Ackley.

Not related to the Brewers, but this Facebook conversation between #1 overall pick Bryce Harper and #3 overall pick Manny Machado is pretty awesome (slight language).

Hey, I think it's Polish you should be beefing with. At least, szczur means "rat" in Polish.

Arnett reportedly topped out around 92 in his first start back with the T-Rats.

Final: DSL Mariners 8, @DSL Brewers 4DSL Brewers box score The Brewers were losing 4-2 entering the 8th, but the Mariners got two runs each in the 8th and 9th to blow the game open before the Brewers got two back in the bottom of the 9th to make it look a little more respectable. Rolando Pascual started and surrendered four runs in four innings, walking five, hitting a batter, loosing three wild pitches, and striking out none. I feel like I've typed a variant of that sentence so many times. Manny Ruiz upped the ante by walking seven in 3.2 innings, though he did strike out six. Christopher Roman pitched for the first time since 6/29 and got an out for the first time since 6/17, but not before allowing two runs. His ERA is now 23.82. You don't get points for shooting the moon in baseball, Christopher. Ruben Sanchez had another nice game, 2-4 with a double, walk, stolen base (though he was caught once as well), and outfield assist. Sanchez is now hitting .304/.436/.375 on the year, with 19 walks and only 15 strikeouts. Joan Abreu (2-3, BB) also had a nice game. Jose Pena was 1-4 with a walk. DSL Brewers play-by-play It's been a long day, and DSL PBPs are trying on the best of days, so you're on your own.

Like "caesar", I think. I remember him from the Villanova football team when they played in the FCS national championship game last year.

Final: @Peoria 3, Wisconsin 2Ninth-inning Peoria single beats Wisconsin Chris Merhing/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers PEORIA, IL – Matt Szczur had three hits and two RBI to lead the Peoria Chiefs to a 3-2 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Thursday night at O’Brien Field. Szczur’s third hit of the night was a bases loaded, single in the bottom of the ninth that drove in the winning run for the Chiefs. The Chiefs (52-47 overall, 14-16 second half) scored twice in the first inning against Rattlers starting pitcher Del Howell. Szczur tripled in the first run. Then, Justin Bour doubled in Szczur for a 2-0 lead. Howell settled down and - while he did give up eight hits and walked three over six innings – he kept the Chiefs off the board for the rest of his time on the hill. The Rattlers (41-59, 15-17) rallied on the bat of Austin Stockfisch. The Rattlers catcher singled in a run in the second inning. In the fifth, Stockfisch launched a home run to right-center to tie the game. The dinger was the first of Stockfisch’s professional career. Peoria seemed to have a runner in scoring position in every inning, but Howell and reliever Matt Costello walked the tightrope and kept the Chiefs off the board through the eighth. Wisconsin did not have many chances after tying the game. Their best opportunity came in the top of the ninth inning against Ronny Morla. Hunter Morris and Cutter Dykstra had back-to-back singles with one out. But, Morla got Joey Paciorek and Stockfisch to ground into consecutive force outs at second base and the game entered the bottom of the ninth tied 2-2. Costello gave up a leadoff single to Jae-Hoon Ha to start the Peoria half of the ninth. After a sacrifice bunt, a walk, and a sharp single to center, the bases were loaded with one out. The Rattlers turned to closer Jon Pokorny to get out of the jam and get to extra innings. Pokorny got ahead of Szczur 0-2, but the Chiefs center fielder lined a single just inside the third base bag and Ha scored the winning run. Peoria is 5-0 against the Rattlers at O’Brien Field and Thursday was their second walkoff victory over the Rattlers. The final game of the series is Friday night. Damon Krestalude (2-6, 6.71) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Rattlers. Frank Batista (1-2, 3.34) is the scheduled starter for the Chiefs. Game time is 6:30pm. Tune in for the Miller Lite Pregame Show on AM1280 WNAM starting at 6:10pm. Wisconsin box score Howell struck out four. Still waiting for the stuff to shine through. Stockfisch and Paciorek were the only Rattlers with multiple hits. The Rattlers failed to draw a single walk. Scooter Gennett and Khris Davis each went hitless, while Kentrail Davis managed a single. Wisconsin play-by-play Four of the eight hits Howell allowed went for extra bases. Paciorek committed a big baserunning error in the 2nd: Wisconsin Top 2nd Hunter Morris grounds out, second baseman Logan Watkins to first baseman Justin Bour. Cutter Dykstra reaches on fielding error by second baseman Logan Watkins. Joseph Paciorek singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha. Cutter Dykstra to 3rd. Austin Stockfisch singles on a line drive to left fielder D. J. Fitzgerald. Cutter Dykstra scores. Joseph Paciorek to 3rd. With Michael Marseco batting, Joseph Paciorek picked off and caught stealing home, catcher Luis Flores to third baseman Matthew Cerda to catcher Luis Flores, Austin Stockfisch to 2nd. Michael Marseco flies out to center fielder Matthew Szczur.

Final: @Brevard County 4, St. Lucie 2BC doubles up Mets for sixth straight win Frank Longobardo/Brevard County Manatees VIERA, Fla. - After a 7-3 road trip, the Brevard County Manatees returned to Space Coast Stadium for the first time in 12 days and defeated the St. Lucie Mets 4-2 on Thursday night in front 2,254 fans. The Manatees scored twice in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and held on for the victory, which extended their winning streak to six games. 2009 first round draft pick Kyle Heckathorn made his second start on the mound for the Manatees (48-54, 21-12) and went seven strong innings and allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out four and not allowing a walk. At one point, Heckathorn retired 16 batters in a row until giving up his first run of the night on a solo homer to Jordany Valdespin in the top of the sixth. With the game knotted at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh and one out, Sean McCraw started the Brevard County rally with a single to center. Juan Sanchez then reached on a hit by pitch and St. Lucie starting pitcher Kyle Allen was replaced by Erik Turgeon. Turgeon was able to get Matt Cline to fly out to left for the second out and then looked to get out of a jam when Sergio Miranda lined a ball to shortstop Wilmer Flores, but Flores dropped the liner, allowing McCraw to score and setting up runners on the corners for Erik Komatsu. Komatsu then delivered a hard-hit ball to Flores' right that he just tipped with his glove, for an infield single that drove in Sanchez. St. Lucie (50-52, 17-17) scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to cut Brevard County's lead to 3-2, but the Manatees were able to get an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single from McCraw that scored Peter Fatse who pinch-ran for Angel Salome. Salome led off the inning with a double. Ruben Flores earned his second hold of the season after relieving Heckathorn in the eighth and getting all three outs. Corey Frerichs earned his fifth save of the season in a scoreless ninth. Salome and McCraw each had two hits and a RBI in the win. The Manatees remain tied for second place with the Tampa Yankees in North division in the second half, two games behind the Daytona Cubs. The Manatees wrap-up the four-game series with the Mets on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Cody Scarpetta (5-8, 3.84) is slated to go for Brevard County, while St. Lucie will counter with Eric Beaulac (5-2, 3.48). There will also be a fundraiser during Friday night's game to benefit Jayce Harris. Harris is an eight-year-old boy from Titusville, that has suffered from schizencephaly since birth. This rare brain condition has caused developmental delays for Jayce, as well as blindness and the inability to walk or speak. Join the Manatees on Friday night as we raise funds to build an addition to the Harris family home to give Jayce the treatment he needs! Brevard County box score 16 in a row! Heckathorn's line looks a like most of his Wisconsin ones. The 10/5 GO/AO is par for the course for him; he's a great job keeping the ball on the ground in his pro career. He allowed just one run through seven innings but came back out for the 8th and was removed after putting the first two runners on, one of whom came around to score. Erik Komatsu was on three times with two walks to go with his single. Wonder if Salome is injured again. Brevard County play-by-play

Final: Mississippi 2, @Huntsville 1Huntsville box score Really impressive matchup between Mark Rogers and Wisconsin native Erik Cordier. Rogers had perhaps his best start of the year: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 12/1 GO/AO, 94 pitches, 58 strikes. What an amazing job of keeping the ball on the ground. Rogers left the game tied at 1, but Jim Henderson gave up a go-ahead solo homer in the 8th. Jeremy Jeffress followed with a perfect 9th with a strikeout in his season debut at Huntsville. Gotta feel good for Cordier to put together such a nice start (seven innings, one run, 10 strikeouts), and I'm always happy to see a fellow Wisconsinite do well, even if it is at the Stars' expense. Quite some pitching Huntsville's faced against Mississippi in the last couple days, eh? They beat up Julio Teheran pretty good, but his stuff is top notch, and Cordier demonstrated tonight that despite his many injuries, he's still got something left in the tank. Couple them with tiny-but-deadly Tim Collins coming out of the pen both nights, and the Stars have had their hands full. Drew Anderson was 2-4, Zelous Wheeler was 1-3 with a double and a walk, and Caleb Gindl and Taylor Green each had a single and a walk (Green's free pass was intentional). Brett Lawrie was 0-4. Huntsville play-by-play This is the only run Rogers allowed: Mississippi Top 2nd Mauro Gomez strikes out swinging. Donell Linares singles on a line drive to left fielder Lee Haydel. Jordan Schafer reaches on force attempt, throwing error by third baseman Taylor Green. Donell Linares to 3rd. Luis Bolivar grounds into a force out, third baseman Taylor Green to second baseman Brett Lawrie. Donell Linares scores. Jordan Schafer out at 2nd. Luis Bolivar to 1st. Jesus Sucre grounds into a force out, shortstop Zelous Wheeler to second baseman Brett Lawrie. Luis Bolivar out at 2nd. The next inning had disaster written all over it--leadoff walks to the pitcher are usually bad omens--but Rogers got out of it: Mississippi Top 3rd Erik Cordier walks. Yasser Gomez singles on a ground ball to shortstop Zelous Wheeler. Erik Cordier to 2nd. Tyler Pastornicky grounds into double play, shortstop Zelous Wheeler to first baseman Chris Nowak. Erik Cordier to 3rd. Yasser Gomez out at 2nd. Willie Cabrera grounds out, pitcher Mark Rogers to shortstop Zelous Wheeler to first baseman Chris Nowak. Weirdly, Rogers' only other walk was also to Cordier, in the 5th inning. Wonder what the deal was there? Here's Jeffress's frame: Mississippi Top 9th Pitcher Change: Jeremy Jeffress replaces Jim Henderson, batting 9th. Willie Cabrera strikes out swinging. Mauro Gomez grounds out, shortstop Zelous Wheeler to first baseman Chris Nowak. Donell Linares lines out to center fielder Caleb Gindl.

Final: Omaha 7, @Nashville 4Sounds drop second straight game to Royals Nashville Sounds NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Sounds suffered their second straight game to the division-rival Omaha Royals, falling 7-4 on Thursday evening at historic Greer Stadium. The back-and-forth contest featured four ties and five lead changes over the first 4 1/2 innings of action as both starting pitchers allowed their highest hit total of the year in the game. Then, the bats quickly quieted down as neither team recorded a hit in the rest of the contest; Omaha's Jarrod Dyson registered the evening's final knock with one out in the top of the fifth. Royals pitchers retired the final 16 Nashville batters in succession to secure the victory. Omaha shortstop Ed Lucas gave the visitors a 1-0 lead when he led off the second inning with a solo homer that careened off the guitar-shaped scoreboard in left-center. The blast, which was the infielder's eighth of the year, came off Sounds starter Josh Butler. The Sounds responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead. Nashville opened the frame with four consecutive singles off Omaha starter Anthony Lerew, the last of which by Eric Farris plated Erick Almonte with the tying run. With the bases still loaded and no outs, the Sounds managed only one additional run in the inning as catcher Martin Maldonado produced an RBI single to center to bring in Brendan Katin with the go-ahead run. Two Nashville runners were forced at the plate as Lerew minimized the damage. With his RBI knock in the frame, Farris (2-for-4) extended his longest hitting streak of the season to 13 games, matching the best effort by a Nashville player this year (Maldonado). The Royals pulled back in front in the second, grabbing a 3-2 lead against Butler. Marc Maddox and Dyson led off with back-to-back doubles to tie the contest before Omaha third baseman Mike Moustakas ripped a go-ahead, one-out RBI double to right. The back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the frame as Joe Koshansky evened the contest with a two-out RBI single to center that brought home Mat Gamel, who had reached on a ground-rule double earlier in the frame. The Sounds left the bases loaded in the frame, however, as Lerew induced an inning-ending fielder's choice from Luis Cruz. Nashville grabbed a 4-3 advantage in the fourth when Lorenzo Cain led off with a single then scored from first on a well-executed hit-and-run single to center off the bat of Gamel. The lead didn't last long, though, as the visitors jumped back in front in the top of the fifth with four runs against Butler. Jordan Parraz evened the score with an RBI single then Cody Clark pushed Omaha back ahead with a run-scoring knock of his own. After a walk to Maddox loaded the bases with one out, David Johnson replaced Butler on the Nashville hill. Dyson grounded a ball to the first-base side of the mound, which was fielded by the Sounds hurler but Koshansky failed to cover the bag, resulting in an infield RBI hit and a 6-4 Omaha lead. Johnson then uncorked a wild pitch to allow Clark to score to make it a three-run cushion. Royals reliever Gaby Hernandez (8-6) continued his dominance against the Sounds this season, striking out five batters over three hitless innings to earn the victory. The right-hander improved to 4-0 with a 0.40 ERA (1er/22.2ip) in four outings against the Sounds. In 21 games against the rest of the PCL, he is 4-6 with a 6.80 ERA (73er/96.2ip). Josh Rupe retired the Sounds in order in the ninth to nail down his sixth save of the year. Butler (1-1) took the loss in his second start of the year for Nashville after surrendering seven runs on 12 hits over 4 1/3 innings of work. The teams wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Friday evening. Left-hander Chris Waters (5-8, 4.47) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Omaha right-hander Philip Humber (4-6, 4.84). The first 2,000 fans through the turnstiles will receive a 2010 Sounds baseball card set, courtesy of Kroger and Kraft Foods. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/07/29/rcFGLbfQ.jpg Mat Gamel looks cool in that uniform. (Mike Strasinger/Nashville Sounds) Nashville box score Butler walked three and struck out three; with the three walks and 12 hits, that more's baserunners than outs. Not so good. Cain finished 1-4 with a walk and was caught stealing for just the third time all year, against 25 successful thefts. Gamel was 2-4; you gotta like hearing "well-executed" and "Gamel" in the same sentence. Cain's walk was the Sounds' only one, and similarly, Gamel had the team's only extra-base knock. Nashville play-by-play Cain came up short here, though: Nashville Bottom 2nd Erick Almonte singles on a line drive to right fielder Jordan Parraz. Joe Koshansky singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jordan Parraz. Erick Almonte to 2nd. Brendan Katin singles on a line drive to center fielder Jarrod Dyson. Erick Almonte to 3rd. Joe Koshansky to 2nd. Eric Farris singles on a ground ball to right fielder Jordan Parraz. Erick Almonte scores. Joe Koshansky to 3rd. Brendan Katin to 2nd. Luis Cruz grounds into a force out, third baseman Mike Moustakas to catcher Cody Clark. Joe Koshansky out at home. Brendan Katin to 3rd. Eric Farris to 2nd. Luis Cruz to 1st. Martin Maldonado singles on a line drive to center fielder Jarrod Dyson. Brendan Katin scores. Eric Farris to 3rd. Luis Cruz to 2nd. Lorenzo Cain grounds into double play, pitcher Anthony Lerew to catcher Cody Clark to first baseman Scott Thorman. Eric Farris out at home.

Manatees glide back to Brevard Mark DeCotis/Florida Today The road-tested Brevard County Manatees return home tonight after a 10-game trip that covered 11 days. And they not only survived, they thrived, finishing with a 7-3 record that has kept them in the thick of the Florida State League North race. The Manatees beat St. Lucie 5-1 Wednesday night to remain two games out of first place following a rough first half of the season that saw them finish last with a 27-42 record. Now, with 100 games in the book, their cumulative record is 46-54. The difference, according to Manatees manager Bob Miscik, has been simple. "We've walked less people, we've continued to make plays and we've gotten timely hits," he said as the Manatees rode the bus south to Port St. Lucie on Wednesday afternoon. "We're trying to get better every day, let the results take care of themselves." And he ties the results to a team effort. "Everybody's been contributing," he said. "When I say everybody, I mean the entire roster, all 25. It's been people who have been added as well. When they come, they've done a good job." That good work has led to the improvement and a noticeable upgrade in the players' attitudes. "We were struggling to find an identity for a while there, kids in their first full season of pro ball," Miscik said. "Now they have gotten more confident. We'll see where it leads us." The Manatees, an affiliate of the National League Milwaukee Brewers, have three hitters in the top 12 of long-season Class A Florida State League statistics. Outfielder Erik Komatsu is third with a .321 average, infielder Matt Cline is 10th at .284 and first baseman Sean Halton 12th at .282. As a team the Manatees are ranked eighth out of 12 teams at .251. Pitching-wise, the Manatees are eighth with a 3.87 earned run average. They still rank second in walks allowed with 387 and rank sixth in strikeouts with 762. Heading into Wednesday they were 10-5 at home in the second half and 9-7 on the road, riding a four-game win streak and winning seven out of their last 10. That's all fine and well but Miscik expects more. "I know we have much room for improvement," he said. "So we can still get better."

Final: @AZL Brewers 4, AZL Royals 2AZL Brewers box score R.J. Johnson continued to demonstrate his rawness in his third pro appearance, walking three, hitting a batter, and uncorking two wild pitches in three innings. Still, he limited the damage to two rus (one earned), both coming in the 1st inning. Greg Holle came in for his encore appearance and worked the next three innings, allowing no runs or walks and striking out two. Marques Kyles handled the final three frames, also allowing no runs or walks and fanning four. Nice symmetry: each pitched allowed only a single hit in his third of the game. The Brewers had no extra-base hits and drew just one walk, but they were hit by a pitch three times. Max Walla and Yadiel Rivera each singled and took one for the team, and Demetrius McKelvie singled and drew the lone free pass, though he also struck out twice, natch. Tyler Roberts was 1-3 with a sac fly, and a rehabbing Jody Gerut was also 1-3; Gerut again left in the 6th inning. AZL Brewers play-by-play When you see how poorly Johnson's day started, you'll appreciate how well he recovered: AZL Royals Top 1st Nick Van Stratten hit by pitch. With Darian Sandford batting, wild pitch by Ronald Johnson , Nick Van Stratten to 2nd. With Darian Sandford batting, wild pitch by Ronald Johnson , Nick Van Stratten to 3rd. Darian Sandford walks. Daniel Mateo walks. Darian Sandford to 2nd. Ryan Eigsti grounds into double play, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to second baseman Nick Shaw to first baseman Jason Rogers. Nick Van Stratten scores. Darian Sandford to 3rd. Daniel Mateo out at 2nd. Victor Soto singles on a ground ball to second baseman Nick Shaw. Darian Sandford scores. Ysmelin Alcantara called out on strikes. Evan Frederickson, is that you? Not really sure why one of those runs would be unearned, but whatever. The fact that Johnson didn't implode after that and actually managed two scoreless innings is impressive. The Brewers took the lead in the 6th: AZL Brewers Bottom 6th Thomas Mittelstaedt grounds out, second baseman Jose Rodriguez to first baseman Victor Soto. Jason Rogers strikes out swinging. Maxwell Walla hit by pitch. Yadiel Rivera singles on a fly ball to right fielder Nick Van Stratten. Maxwell Walla to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jose Sanchez replaces Robinson Yambati. Demetrius McKelvie walks. Maxwell Walla to 3rd. Yadiel Rivera to 2nd. John Bivens hit by pitch. Maxwell Walla scores. Yadiel Rivera to 3rd. Demetrius McKelvie to 2nd. Nick Shaw singles on a ground ball to third baseman Darian Sandford. Yadiel Rivera scores. Demetrius McKelvie to 3rd. John Bivens to 2nd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Kenneth Allison replaces Jody Gerut. Kenneth Allison grounds out, third baseman Darian Sandford to first baseman Victor Soto.

Squeeze bunt advances West Bend West past Grafton Dave Boehler/Special to the Journal Sentinel Stevens Point — Many years from now, maybe tales of how West Bend West scored its winning run in the last inning of a state baseball tournament game will morph into something more dramatic. For now, the Spartans will settle for Joe Stubbe's ability to resist stabbing at a wild pitch on a suicide squeeze bunt attempt in the top of the seventh inning. Not highlight-reel material, but it allowed Eric Ducharme to score the go-ahead run from third base in West's 9-7 come-from-behind quarterfinal victory over Grafton on Wednesday afternoon at Bukolt Park. "It was just instinct," Stubbe said. "I figured the catcher had a better chance of missing it than me hitting it, so that's just what I did." Stubbe eventually walked and scored on an error to give West its final two-run margin and a date with West Salem in the semifinals at approximately noon Thursday. The Spartans (34-2), who overcame a 7-3 deficit, allowed Grafton to score six runs in the second inning on one hit. Five of the runs were unearned because of three errors. "For us to get out of there with a win is magical," West coach Bill Albrecht said. Grafton finished with a 21-10 record after going 4-23 last year. The Black Hawks also overcame the death of senior outfielder Matt Malkowski (car accident) shortly before the season began and reached state for the first time since their debut in 1983. "The finish is heartbreaking," Grafton coach Brian Durst said. "But we don't let that overshadow what we've done along the way. To be able to look my seniors in the eye and have them look around, have all the kids look around at this field and realize where they're finishing. They climbed the mountain. They finished at state. Only one team gets to get out of here with a win to end it, and that'll be the championship team. "West Bend West has so many ways of beating you. And they found a way to do it again. They earned the chance to move on." West's rally began when Grafton senior pitcher Conor Fisk, a late-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Brewers in June, walked the first two batters. "I wish I had that inning over," said Fisk, who struck out 11 but walked seven. "I couldn't even hit the zone. I didn't know what was going on at all." Harry Steldt flied out to right field, but Matt Wolf was able to tag from second and put runners on first and third with one out. Shane Hayes, who struck out in his first three at-bats, attempted a squeeze bunt but fouled the ball back to the screen. He swung away but also fouled the next pitch for a 0-2 count. Hayes then tied the score at 7-7 on a single to left field. "I just wanted to make contact," Hayes said. "Obviously, I wasn't making contact all game." Albrecht also ordered the squeeze bunt with Stubbe at the plate and another runner on third. "A squeeze puts a lot of pressure on the defense," Albrecht said. "Sometimes you don't always have to do it right."

Final: @Peoria 8, Wisconsin 3Chiefs crack Rattlers Chris Mehring/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers PEORIA, IL – The Peoria Chiefs and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers each had ten hits in Wednesday’s game at O’Brien Field. But, Peoria had five of their hits with runners in scoring position while the Rattlers managed just one hit in similar circumstances. Peoria beat the Rattlers 8-3 in the matchup of Western Division Rivals. Peoria (51-47 overall, 13-16 second half) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third inning on a double and a pair of walks. Rattlers starting pitcher Maverick Lasker tried to get ahead of Luis Flores with a quick strike. Instead it was Flores who struck quickly as he swung at the first pitch and lined a two-run double into the left field corner. Jae-Hoon Ha was next and he doubled down the third base line to drive in two more runs and the Chiefs were up 4-0. Wisconsin (41-58, 15-16) got a run back in the top of the third. Cutter Dykstra doubled and went to third on an error. Cameron Garfield’s grounder to second drove in Dykstra to make the score 4-1. Peoria took advantage of a Rattlers error in the bottom of the fifth inning to get another run on the board. Wisconsin could not turn an inning ending double play and the error allowed Matt Szczur to take second base. Justin Bour doubled in Szczur and the Chiefs were up 5-1. The Chiefs scored three times in the seventh on a combination of two out hits and errant Timber Rattler throws. Reliever Caleb Thielbar retired the first two batters of the inning, but Szczur singled and Bour doubled to put runners at second and third. Matt Cerda blooped in a single to center to score two runs, the throw home to get Bour was late and to the backstop. Cerda took off for third and the throw to get him was winged into left field. Cerda scored easily to make the score 8-1. An RBI single by Kentrail Davis in the eighth and a solo homer by Hunter Morris in the ninth got the Rattlers to three runs, but it wasn’t enough for Wisconsin. Game two of the series is Thursday night at O’Brien Field. Del Howell (2-4, 4.92) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Peoria has Robert Whitenack (8-7, 3.46) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 7:00pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 6:40pm. Wisconsin box score Lasker's line: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3BB, 1 HBP, 4K, 1 WP, 6/4 GO/AO, 77 pitches, 43 strikes. Kentrail Davis, Morris, Dykstra, and Michael Marseco each had two hits. Khris Davis was 1-4 with a double, Scooter Gennett took the collar, and D'Vontrey Richardson was 1-4. You know, after a .278/.400/.342 June, I thought Richardson might be figuring things out and poised for a strong second half, but he was hitting just .204/.255/.282 in July entering tonight. On the other hand, Morris has come on very strong in July, which is great to see. Wisconsin play-by-play

Final: Brevard County 5, @St. Lucie 1Mets lose 8th in a row Matt Gagnon/St. Lucie Mets The St. Lucie Mets dropped their eighth consecutive game, a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Brevard County Manatees Wednesday night at Digital Domain Park. The loss puts the Mets at 17 - 16 on the second half of the season, now a full game behind the first place Bradenton Marauders in the FSL South Division. The Mets again could not put together a legitimate offensive threat. The Mets had seven hits on the night but were struck out fifteen times while stranding six on base. St. Lucie was fortunate the score was not more lopsided. The Manatees banged out sixteen hits on the night but stranded fourteen runners on base. Brad Holt took the loss for the Mets tossing 5.1 innings allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and five walks. All four of the Mets pitchers ran into trouble at some point in their outing. Elvin Ramirez allowed a run and four hits in 1.2 innings of work. Sean Green was touched up for two runs in the ninth inning and Brant Rustich, who didn't allow a run still yielded two hits in his inning of work. The Mets lone run came in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. Stefan Welch hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field wall to put the Mets on the scoreboard. Of the Mets seven hits, Welch had two along with Jordany Valdespin. Pedro Zapata, Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares accounted for the other Mets hits. The Mets head to Viera to take on the Brevard County Manatees on Thursday night. Kyle Allen gets the start for the Mets. Allen is 6-6 with a 5.28 ERA and 52 strikeouts in nineteen appearances, seventeen starts on the season. Brevard County box score Not a particularly helpful writeup from our perspective, but what can you do. Anyway, the story tonight was Dan Merklinger, who, not satisfied with striking out 11 in six innings last time out, fanned 13 in six frames tonight. MH is right: wow! Merklinger allowed six hits and walked just one. Whatever he changed before his last start, I like it. Just as impressive was Juan Sanchez's 5-5 line, including his first home run of the season and just second since joining the system before last year. Sean Halton was 3-5, Erik Komatsu and Shawn Zarraga were both 1-3 with two walks, and Brock Kjeldgaard was 2-5 with two doubles. Holt was taken the pick right after Jake Odorizzi in 2008, and I remember being mad that he wasn't left on the board for the Brewers to take a couple choices later, a pick the Brewers used on Evan Frederickson. Holt was BA's #94 prospect after a blistering 2008 debut, but he's really struggled since. Brevard County play-by-play 10 of Merklinger's strikeouts were swinging. He got stronger as the game went on, allowing just one baserunner in his last three innings and striking out seven of the ten batters he faced. Wow!

Final (game two): DSL Cardinals 6, @DSL Brewers 0 (6 innings)DSL Brewers box score Again, the Cardinals got five runs late, this time in the 5th inning; the game was called in the top of the 6th, presumably due to rain. Juan Francisco was your starter. He could only make it one out into the 5th, and reliever Elvis Mora wasn't much relief, letting in three more runs before the inning ended. The Brewers managed just two baserunners, singles by Yonki Hernandez and Orton Rodriguez. I think this was only Rodriguez's second start of the year. Check out his game log; he goes weeks between appearances. He's only 20, but maybe he's transitioning into a coaching role, or maybe he's just shy. DSL Brewers play-by-play It's a good thing the game was called when it did, because it doesn't appear that Jose A. Garcia had it, exactly: DSL Cardinals Top 6th Pitcher Change: Jose A. Garcia replaces Elvis Mora. Jose Agustin grounds out, second baseman Joan Abreu to first baseman Juan De Leon. Victor Encanacion walks. With Daniel Barbuena batting, wild pitch by Jose A. Garcia, Victor Encanacion to 2nd. With Daniel Barbuena batting, passed ball by Deivi Mejia, Victor Encanacion to 3rd. Daniel Barbuena hit by pitch. Luis Perez strikes out swinging. Domingo Diaz walks. Daniel Barbuena to 2nd. That was the only HBP of the game, though, so that's the final nail in the coffin of my bad-blood theory.

Final (game one): @DSL Cardinals 6, DSL Brewers 1 (7 innings)DSL Brewers box score Jose Cepeda started and allowed five runs in five innings. Well, he allowed one run in five innings before failing to retire any of the first four batters in the 6th, all of whom eventually came around to score. Welcome sight: Jean Capellan relieved Cepeda, the first appearance for the young righty in almost three weeks. Each starting pitcher hit three batters each. Bad blood? If so, I wouldn't be surprised, what with there only being three other teams in the Brewers' division and no interdivisonal games. They're probably pretty sick of each other. Ruben Sanchez was 1-2, stole a base, tallied an outfield assist, and was on the receiving end of two of those pitches, so he had a very productive day. Andres Martinez was 2-3 with a triple. Jose Pena was 0-3. The Brewers drew no walks. DSL Brewers play-by-play A run here would have broken the 1-1 tie: DSL Brewers Top 5th Andres Martinez triples (1) on a ground ball to left fielder Ronard Castillo. Yonki Hernandez strikes out swinging. Ruben Sanchez hit by pitch. With Raul MondesiJr. batting, Ruben Sanchez steals (14) 2nd base. Raul MondesiJr. called out on strikes. Hitaniel Arias lines out to left fielder Ronard Castillo. Two of the three batters Cepeda hit were among those four baserunners to begin the 6th, so I'm going to guess that it wasn't intentional, at least on his part.

The Rattlers game is in a rain delay to start. Sounds like they might get underway in about an hour.

Brewers comeback downs Owlz Neil K. Warner/Daily Herald The Helena Brewers weren't having much luck with Orem Owlz starting pitcher Pill Joon Jang. Through five innings all that Helena had to show for their at-bats was a big fat zero. But when the Brewers got Jang out of the game, their fortunes turned. Helena used a five-run seventh inning to spoil a great outing from Jang on Tuesday night to help the Brewers beat Orem 6-3. "Jang did a nice job. He made one mistake on a breaking ball to a left-handed hitter," said Orem manager Tom Kotchman. "He changed his speeds really good tonight. He threw some breaking balls in fastball counts. That's his second good outing in a row, I'm very happy with that." The win helped Helena take two out of three from Orem. Both teams now share the same record at 18-18. Helena was led by leadoff hitter Robbie Garvey, who went 3-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs. Jang gave up three hits through five plus innings and struck out four. Behind Jang, Orem built a 2-0 lead. The Owlz scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Wes Hatton singled to lead off the inning. Orem then caught a break when Kole Calhoun hit a comebacker to Helena pitcher Tyler Cravy, but he bobbled the ball and everyone was safe. Brandon Decker then lined out, but the inning continued when Thomas Nichols then singled in a run. Daniel Eichelberger also hit an RBI siingle to grab a 2-0 lead. Orem's offense then fizzled and the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. In the sixth, Garvey hit his first professional home run to right field off Jang. After giving up the solo shot, Jang then walked Shea Vucinich and was then replaced by Dakota Robinson, who got Cody Hawn to roll into double play to end the inning. Helena then broke the game open in the seventh. Gregory Hopkins started things off for the Brewers with a leadoff single. Mike Walker followed with a single and John Dishon walked to load the bases. Robinson got Brandon Sizemore to hit a shallow fly ball to Calhoun in right field, which was not nearly deep enough to score the run, but Brent Dean followed with a deep fly ball to center that drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Carlos George added an RBI single. Garvey then singled in another run which set up the big hit, a Hawn single that plated two more runs and gave Helena a 6-2 lead. Orem got a run back in the eighth when Hatton walked to leadoff the inning. He scored on a ground ball from Decker, but that's all the offense the Owlz could produce. They finished with just four hits. Three Helena relievers combined to no-hit the Owlz over the final four innings to end another disappointing night at the plate for a team that is last in the Pioneer League in batting with a .254 team batting average. "We got four hits. It's unacceptable the way we're playing and honestly I don't have lot of answers," Kotchman said. "All you've got to do is look at the stats and see where we're last in. We've struck out the most, that's alarming. Our consistent players have been in the outfield. Our outfield play has been outstanding. Other than that the other positions are wide open." Both teams will have a rare day off today before finishing up the first-half of the season. Orem will play at Casper on Thursday will Helena will host Great Falls on Thursday.

Final: Helena 6, @Orem 3Helena box score We heard about Tyler Cravy's potential at the beginning of the year, and he may be figuring out how to use his stuff; he's struck out 16 and walked four in his last 13.2 innings. Tonight he tossed five frames, allowing two runs (one earned). The Brewers were shut out while Cravy was on the mound; however, they got one in the 6th and erupted for five more in the 7th. That made a winner out of Tony Butler in what turned out to be his last appearance before heading to Wisconsin. The fearsome duo of Eric Marzec and Brian Garman finished out the game; they've allowed one earned run between them in 27 innings at Helena, though Marzec has let in five unearned runs, including one tonight, and Garman three. Garman in particular has been dominant: 27 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Robbie Garvey went 3-5 and clouted his first professional home run; congratulations, Robbie. Every other member of the starting lineup had exactly one hit, except Shea Vucinich, who walked and was hit by two pitches. Helena play-by-play Helena Top 7th Gregory Hopkins singles on a line drive to center fielder Travis Witherspoon. Michael Walker singles on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Eichelberger. Gregory Hopkins to 2nd. John Dishon walks. Gregory Hopkins to 3rd. Michael Walker to 2nd. Brandon Sizemore flies out to right fielder Kole Calhoun. Brent Dean out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Travis Witherspoon. Gregory Hopkins scores. Michael Walker to 3rd. Carlos George singles on a ground ball to second baseman Wes Hatton. Michael Walker scores. John Dishon to 2nd. With Robert Garvey batting, John Dishon steals (11) 3rd base. Robert Garvey singles on a line drive to right fielder Kole Calhoun. John Dishon scores. Carlos George to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Seth Fowler replaces Dakota Robinson. Shea Vucinich hit by pitch. Robert Garvey to 2nd. Cody Hawn singles on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Eichelberger. Carlos George scores. Robert Garvey scores. Shea Vucinich to 2nd. Gregory Hopkins walks. Shea Vucinich to 3rd. Cody Hawn to 2nd. Michael Walker grounds out, pitcher Seth Fowler to first baseman Brandon Decker.

If a draft pick makes his pro debut, but it's credited to someone else, does it make a sound? RHP Greg Holle hopes so. Remember on Friday when we couldn't figure out why Brooks Hall was listed as pitching two days in a row? Well, it's since been corrected, and it turns out that Friday's starter was actually Holle, who turned in two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his first career game. Belated congrats, Greg.

Final: @AZL Reds 14, AZL Brewers 0AZL Brewers box score The Reds' organization really did a number on the Brewers' today. Brooks Hall got hammered: 2.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, and Jose Sanchez and Kevin Shackelford didn't fare any better. The Reds had 20 hits, while the Brewers had just four, Tyler Roberts' double being the most notable. Jody Gerut was 0-1 with a walk before leaving in the 6th. Max Walla was 0-3 with three strikeouts. AZL Brewers play-by-play Hall actually turned in a scoreless 1st before it all went to hell: AZL Reds Bottom 2nd Danny Hernandez singles on a line drive to center fielder Jody Gerut. Stephen Hunt singles on a line drive to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Danny Hernandez to 3rd. With Danny Vicioso batting, Danny Hernandez scores on a balk. Stephen Hunt advances to 2nd on a balk. Danny Vicioso singles on a ground ball to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Stephen Hunt to 3rd. Samuel Diaz doubles (1) on a line drive to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Stephen Hunt scores. Danny Vicioso to 3rd. Adam Muenster singles on a line drive to center fielder Jody Gerut. Danny Vicioso scores. Samuel Diaz to 3rd. Juan Silva walks. Adam Muenster to 2nd. Drew Poulk out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Maxwell Walla. Samuel Diaz scores. Adam Muenster to 3rd. David Vidal grounds into a force out, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to second baseman Nick Shaw. Adam Muenster scores. Juan Silva out at 2nd. David Vidal to 1st. Robert Maddox grounds out, second baseman Nick Shaw to first baseman Jason Rogers. AZL Reds Bottom 3rd Danny Hernandez homers (2) on a fly ball to left field. Stephen Hunt singles on a ground ball to second baseman Nick Shaw. Stephen Hunt advances to 2nd, on throwing error by second baseman Nick Shaw. Danny Vicioso grounds out, shortstop Yadiel Rivera to first baseman Jason Rogers. Samuel Diaz singles on a ground ball to left fielder Derrick Shaw. Stephen Hunt to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Jose Sanchez replaces Brooks Hall. Adam Muenster grounds into double play, second baseman Nick Shaw to first baseman Jason Rogers. Samuel Diaz out at 2nd.

Haudricourt:

Final: @DSL Brewers 7, DSL Athletics 5DSL Brewers box score The Brewers scored three in the 7th and two in the 8th to get the victory. Raul Mondesi, Jr.'s coming on strong of late. A day after smacking his first pro triple and homer, Mondesi went 4-5 with a double. Mondesi doesn't turn 18 until 8/23. Ronny Puello was 2-4 with a double and a walk, Andres Martinez was 2-4, Jose Pena was 1-3 with a walk, and Carlos Pena walked twice. Eduard Reyes started and allowed two unearned runs in five innings; Eliezer Montano was the beneficiary of the Brewers' comeback, picking up the win despite allowing two runs (one earned) in 2.2 innings. DSL Brewers play-by-play Either they like to put on two-out suicide squeezes in the DSL or they just like to try straight steals of home, but this has happened a lot recently: DSL Athletics Top 2nd Diego Ledezma flies out to center fielder Ruben Sanchez. Charli Blanco reaches on fielding error by second baseman Yonki Hernandez. With Dionisio Ramirez batting, Charli Blanco steals (3) 2nd base. With Dionisio Ramirez batting, throwing error by Eduard Reyes on the pickoff attempt, Charli Blanco to 3rd. Dionisio Ramirez walks. Anderson De La Rosa walks. Dionisio Ramirez to 2nd. Alfredo Sosa grounds into a force out, shortstop Andres Martinez to second baseman Yonki Hernandez. Charli Blanco scores. Dionisio Ramirez to 3rd. Anderson De La Rosa out at 2nd. Alfredo Sosa to 1st. With Franklin Contreras batting, Dionisio Ramirez caught stealing home, catcher Carlos Pena to second baseman Yonki Hernandez to catcher Carlos Pena. The Brewers sent nine men to the plate in the 7th. Nothing like a good old bases-loaded balk: DSL Brewers Bottom 7th Yonki Hernandez grounds out, shortstop Wilfredo Solano to first baseman Michael Soto. Ruben Sanchez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Charli Blanco. Raul MondesiJr. doubles (2) on a fly ball to center fielder Charli Blanco. Ruben Sanchez scores. Pitcher Change: Victor Trinidad replaces William Bautista. Hitaniel Arias hit by pitch. Ronny Puello singles on a ground ball to center fielder Charli Blanco. Raul MondesiJr. scores. Hitaniel Arias to 2nd. Jose Pena walks. Hitaniel Arias to 3rd. Ronny Puello to 2nd. With Carlos Pena batting, Hitaniel Arias scores on a balk. Ronny Puello advances to 3rd on a balk. Jose Pena advances to 2nd on a balk. Carlos Pena walks. Pitcher Change: Cristhian Perez replaces Victor Trinidad. Andres Martinez called out on strikes. Jorge De La Cruz grounds into a force out, shortstop Wilfredo Solano to second baseman Rodolfo Penalo. Carlos Pena out at 2nd.